The First Sermon
In the first sermon, His Eminence, Sayyed Ali Fadlullah, celebrated the birth anniversary of the Commander of the Faithful, Imam Ali (a.s.). He took one aspect of the Imam’s life as an example of how he was the embodiment of Islam in everything he did or said; namely in his role as the caliph of the Muslims. He explained that being a Caliph, and actually his entire life in the world, did not mean anything were it not to enjoin right and forbid evil. That is why his primary concern as a ruler was to establish justice and fight any wrongdoing, corruption and nepotism.
In short, his rule could be summarized by a letter he had sent to his governor in Egypt, in which he said: ‘Fill up your heart with affection and kindness towards people. Do not treat them fiercely like the greedy beasts, which feel satisfied by devouring each other. Be careful not to appropriate what belongs to the others. Remember that people are of two kinds; they are either your brothers in religion or your brothers in humanity’.
He also advised him to treat people equally so that the strong would not feel safe from punishment and the weak would be certain that their rights would be protected.
The most important lesson we deduce from Ali’s experience in the government is the fact that nothing in his personality or in his dealing with life and people witnessed any change. He was the same person, whether as a fighter, a judge, a husband, a ruler or a worshipper. He is the best example that the moral values and religion are but one and cannot be divided.
He proved that Islam can actually make life ascend to the most sublime values of humanitarianism and justice. If other “Islamic” experiences failed, then they did not fail because Islam was not able to produce a good government, but because it was mal-practiced or misunderstood.
The Sayyed concluded that to stand with Ali as we should is to always side with the right and justice, even if we were to lose and even if it were at our own expense.
The second sermon
In the second sermon, His Eminence, Sayyed Ali Fadlullah, talked about the situation in Lebanon, and called all the parliamentary blocs to leave their interests and bets aside, and choose the president they themselves would impose on the foreign forces instead of waiting for recommendations that come from the outside.
The Sayyed warned against funding the suggested raises in wages from the poor by imposing additional taxes on them. He also hoped that the teachers’ demands would be answered quickly so that the examinations will not be delayed and the students’ academic year will not be lost.
The Sayyed also talked about the shortage in water this year, calling on the Lebanese to use water in a balanced way, so as to save as much water as possible.
On another level, the Sayyed welcomed the Hums agreement in Syria, regardless of its reasons and who benefits from it, and he hoped that similar agreements will be reached in other regions to save Syria…
On the Palestinian level, the Sayyed expressed his solidarity and support to the Palestinian prisoners, and he called on the Palestinian factions to hasten in implementing their reconciliation agreement.
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Source: Bayynat
